| RotoFreak.com: Boston Celtics Fantasy Preview Authored by Craig Huffman - September 24, 2006 - 1:23 pm
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Paul Pierce – He's no longer a top-10 fantasy player; however, he's still one of the more attractive options in the 15 to 20th-pick range of drafts. Really, it's the consistency and ironman status that still puts Pierce in the class of fantasy superstars. And you can expect more of the same from Pierce this year. His steal and block totals are in a 4-year decline; but, the offseason additions of Telfair and Rondo do give some hope for Pierce's turnover numbers to get back on the mend. And the dip in assists is certainly worth it. So, we're keeping an eye on that point guard position battle; but, we're not looking at Pierce until the 15th pick rolls around.
Wally Szczerbiak – It's been a rollercoaster ride for Wally and his owners over the past year. A midseason trade didn't knock him off that top-40 pedestal; however, that end-of-the-year knee injury hurt h2h fantasy owners when it hurt the most (the fantasy playoffs). Although the offseason did bring him a brand new pair of knees, it's safe to say that we've already seen the best that Wally has to offer. The injury concerns continue, the suspect defense causes mpg volatility, and Wally's uncertain future in Boston muddles expectations. Nevertheless, his top-40 upside has been established and 37 mpg is all he needs. That's a little too much risk for us to assume; so, we'll for him around the 70th pick... and consider trading him high if he comes out blazing.
Delonte West – Clearly, one of last year's surprise performers. He wasn't on anybody's radar during draft time; however, he had everybody running to the wire once he took over that starting pg spot and turned into a 9-cat demigod. Clearly, his upside won't be overlooked again; however, that doesn't mean he'll live up to last year's hype. Ainge brought in two pass-first point guards this offseason, and Delonte's starting spot is in jeopardy. We love Delonte; after all, he came into the league as a 2-guard, and made great strides last year. But, with Doc's job on the line, Bassy and Rondo waiting in the wings, and Delonte perhaps better utilized as a combo-guard off the bench, we're playing it cautious this year. We still think 30 mpg is obtainable, and we're not ignoring the fact that they could start Delonte at SG. But, we don't see Wally getting thrown to the bench, and we have trouble believing that Delonte's size won't be an issue against starting 2-guards. With Delonte's game also inviting injury, we're playing it cautious here, and looking for him around the 80th pick.
Kendrick Perkins – The good news for Perkins' owners is that there isn't an excess of 5's in Boston. The bad news for Perkins' owners is that he's only given 6 fouls per game. We see the double-double upside, solid percentages, and healthy block numbers; however, we think 35 mpg might be stretching it here. 9 PTS, 8.5 REB and 2 BLK are within reach, though... and that would put him close to the top 100. Since he's still a relative unknown and he doesn't come without risk, he's a guy that you can probably pick up around the 125 to 150th pick. So, he might be a good guy to wait on.
Ryan Gomes – Gomes' second half didn't go unnoticed in fantasyland last year. He contributes in every category except 3's and blocks, and 35 mpg translates him into a top-100'ish fantasy player. He does have Al Jefferson to contend with, though... which will limit his mpg potential. We're giving Ryan the advantage at the 4 to start the season; however, we're not ignoring the fact that Al Jeff is waiting in the wings. So, the risk involved drops Gomes about 25 spots in our rankings, and if we have another guy on our draftboard at that time, we'll definitely consider dropping him further. Like Perkins, there's a better-than-average chance that he's overlooked.
Al Jefferson – Once proclaimed to be the Next Big Thing... now just another one of Boston's talented prospects. We're really keeping an eye on him this year and, so far, we like what we see. Reports have him shedding 30 pounds this offseason, making him a little lighter on his feet and hopefully helping him stay out of injury trouble. He needs some consistent minutes to gain confidence, and with fewer bodies in his way, there's room for him to prove himself. We have him ranked around 130; however, we expect him to be available 15 to 30 spots below that in your draft.
Sebastian Telfair – Bassy was one of last year's bigger disappointments in fantasyland. He came into the year with an outstanding summer league performance and a starting spot... but fell out of favor with Nate, and then struggled off the bench. With his percentages and turnovers mediocre, Telfair needs a fast-paced system to be of any use. He's the true pass-first point guard that Boston is looking for; however, we think he's still a little wild to jump right into Doc's starting lineup. An amazing training camp could change things; however, we're assuming that chance to start won't come right away. So, he's merely an upside pick in deep leagues right now... but we're keeping a close eye on him (and Rondo for that matter).
Theo Ratliff – The block potential that Theo can give your squad should never be forgotten. But neither should the fact that he's injury prone and 33 years old. Ideally, he'd play 20 mpg for the Celtics... tutoring the kids along the way. Since they're lacking experience and defense, there's an outside shot that Theo could start as well. We'll assume he won't, though. Giving him 20 mpg with potential for more if/when injuries occur. That puts him around the 170th pick.
Gerald Green – We saw glimpses of fantasy potential in Green late last year... solid percentages and an all-around game. He still needs time to mature, and barring a Pierce injury, the minutes just won't be there for him to be any sort of factor.
Tony Allen – There's a little too many question marks surrounding Tony's future with the Celtics for us to bother with him at this point. He competed for a starting spot last year and brings necessary defense and hustle at the 2-spot for the Celtics; but, the legal troubles will extend into the season. So, we're steering clear of him.
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